More than a year after arriving
We have been in Ireland for 18 months now and have a few very interesting observations. Now don't get me wrong! I am very grateful to be allowed to live and work in Ireland without restriction. And I find Ireland to be one of the most beautiful places on earth (I've lived in 5 other countries), but I have some gripes!
I find that Irish consumers just take any old crap that's dished up to them as if it is their lot in life and that they should just accept it. Take motor insurance for instance. It is the most expensive place in the world to insure a motor vehicle - without doubt. And why? Why are insurance rates so high when motor vehicle accidents are few and far between, and theft rates are amongst the lowest in the world? It is because we have a government that has made insurance compulsory, but hasn't regulated the industry's pricing. Why should I, a 50 year old man with a clean record, pay €600 per year to insure a car that's worth €2000? It is all bollocks! I have recently had to insure my daughter as a learner driver. We live in a rural location, hardly any traffic to contend with, not much chance of an accident, and we have to pay €1800 per year insurance! If the rates were based on accident statistics and actual costs incurred I would understand and pay with a smile. But the rates are not based on any of these: the rates are based on corporate greed. Check the financial performance of any Irish insurance company and then try and tell me that their profits are justified.
And what of the outrageous prices we pay for a snack or a light meal? In the UK you get a full fried breakfast for £2.00 - £2.95. In Ireland the cheapest I have found is €8.00 - why????? Why do we pay so much more for stuff here?
It is time that Irish consumers dug their heels in and refused to pay these ridiculous prices. How about starting a protest group and arranging some boycott action?
Now back to the positives in life. When I arrived in Ireland I got a job quite quickly in a senoir position with a large company in Munster. I was very successful at what I did, but found that I wasn't being paid what I was worth. But with a recession looming I couldn't move to another employer and couldn't make demands on my employer for a better deal. So I just started my own business and found that I could turn the "rip off Ireland" phenomenon to my own advantage. I found that my competitors were charging more than double what I was, and for an inferior product at that. So I have marketed myself very aggressively and have literally been eating the opposition for breakfast. Two global competitors have cut their prices to Ireland; one of them has halved their price and I am still cheaper than them! So what I really am trying to get across is a double point - don't use a recession as an excuse to fail, and don't assume that because all of your opposition charge the same, you should too. As an example, let's say that a small car sells for €100k, but you have a similar car that you can afford to sell for €60k. Should you sell it for €60k or should you sell it for €95k to be similar in price to your opposition, and make an obscene profit? You should know by now that I would sell it at €60k and move 1000 units instead of selling at €95k and only moving 10.
So yes, Ireland has been kind to me (except the fecking weather!) and I am grateful to be here. But I think that we should all get off our butts and stop the constant ripoff! Lidl or Aldi are low cost outlets - what is Dunne's response? "We're Irish!" So fecking what? I am going to spend my moeny where I get the best value, not where the flag is flown high!
I find that Irish consumers just take any old crap that's dished up to them as if it is their lot in life and that they should just accept it. Take motor insurance for instance. It is the most expensive place in the world to insure a motor vehicle - without doubt. And why? Why are insurance rates so high when motor vehicle accidents are few and far between, and theft rates are amongst the lowest in the world? It is because we have a government that has made insurance compulsory, but hasn't regulated the industry's pricing. Why should I, a 50 year old man with a clean record, pay €600 per year to insure a car that's worth €2000? It is all bollocks! I have recently had to insure my daughter as a learner driver. We live in a rural location, hardly any traffic to contend with, not much chance of an accident, and we have to pay €1800 per year insurance! If the rates were based on accident statistics and actual costs incurred I would understand and pay with a smile. But the rates are not based on any of these: the rates are based on corporate greed. Check the financial performance of any Irish insurance company and then try and tell me that their profits are justified.
And what of the outrageous prices we pay for a snack or a light meal? In the UK you get a full fried breakfast for £2.00 - £2.95. In Ireland the cheapest I have found is €8.00 - why????? Why do we pay so much more for stuff here?
It is time that Irish consumers dug their heels in and refused to pay these ridiculous prices. How about starting a protest group and arranging some boycott action?
Now back to the positives in life. When I arrived in Ireland I got a job quite quickly in a senoir position with a large company in Munster. I was very successful at what I did, but found that I wasn't being paid what I was worth. But with a recession looming I couldn't move to another employer and couldn't make demands on my employer for a better deal. So I just started my own business and found that I could turn the "rip off Ireland" phenomenon to my own advantage. I found that my competitors were charging more than double what I was, and for an inferior product at that. So I have marketed myself very aggressively and have literally been eating the opposition for breakfast. Two global competitors have cut their prices to Ireland; one of them has halved their price and I am still cheaper than them! So what I really am trying to get across is a double point - don't use a recession as an excuse to fail, and don't assume that because all of your opposition charge the same, you should too. As an example, let's say that a small car sells for €100k, but you have a similar car that you can afford to sell for €60k. Should you sell it for €60k or should you sell it for €95k to be similar in price to your opposition, and make an obscene profit? You should know by now that I would sell it at €60k and move 1000 units instead of selling at €95k and only moving 10.
So yes, Ireland has been kind to me (except the fecking weather!) and I am grateful to be here. But I think that we should all get off our butts and stop the constant ripoff! Lidl or Aldi are low cost outlets - what is Dunne's response? "We're Irish!" So fecking what? I am going to spend my moeny where I get the best value, not where the flag is flown high!
